By Godfred A. Polkuu
Sumbrungu (U/E), Feb. 26, GNA – Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, Catholic Bishop of the Navrongo – Bolgatanga Diocese in the Upper East Region, has called on the National Education Forum Committee to consider a proposal for educational system devoid of political party interference.
He advocated the need for a National Education policy like the National Development Plan that would be beyond the reach of political parties and not subject to changes by any political party in government.
“We need a National Educational policy that is beyond the reach of any manifesto of a political party and not subject to changes by any government,” he said.
Bishop Agyenta made the call at the National Education Forum for stakeholders in Upper East and North-East Regions held at the Bolgatanga Technical University.
The forum was on the theme: “Transforming education for a sustainable future”.
It brought together various teacher unions, heads of educational institutions, students, traditional leaders, the clergy, parents, Directors of Education among others across the two Regions.
Bishop Agyenta said President John Dramani Mahama’s initiative to evaluate the current education system and propose recommendations aligns with the vision of the Catholic Church in Ghana.
He identified some concerns that affected Catholic education delivery in the two Regions, and said the ongoing conflict in Bawku and its environs kept the future of several children of school-going age at risk.
He said some children stopped school out of fear for their safety, while some teachers also left the area, “This situation has impeded the Church and its educational unit from accessing schools in affected areas, complicating teaching and learning.
“Despite this, these students must still take the same exams as their peers elsewhere in the country. This needs urgent consideration in any educational policy to ensure that no child is left behind,” Bishop Agyenta said.
He said the deteriorating infrastructure and poor furniture in many schools in the two regions posed significant risks for students’ safety, and impeded quality teaching and learning.
“In some places, students still sit under trees or lie on their bellies to write notes and that raises serious questions about equitable distribution of resources for the benefit of all. Although the Catholic Church has made various efforts to address these needs, the demands are overwhelming,” he said.
Bishop Agyenta said failure to honour the partnership between the Government and the Church, and other faith-based bodies in the form of a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) was of concern.
He suggested that in the light of the recent developments in the North, it might be useful to widen the MoU to include traditional authorities to ensure that faith-based bodies had the free hand to run their educational institutions without any political or any form of interference.
GNA